Do breeding nomadic avian predators dampen population fluctuations of small mammals

The mean consumption of all prey by adult and young European kestrels (EKs), shot-eared owls (SOs) and long-eared owls (LOs) in one breeding season was (±S.D.) 585±525 kg in 47 km 2 of farmland area in western Finland during 1977-87. The proportion of prey consumption was highest by EKs (50), followed by SOs (36%) and LOs (14%). The voles (Microtu agrestis and M. epiroticus) were the most frequent prey taken by the three species of birds of prey, though in vole lows shrews and small birds were the most abundant prey. In good vole years, Microtus voles suffered from a heavier predation than bank voles and common shrews, but the contrary was true in poor vole years when numbers of birds of prey were low

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